O Saathi Re (Omkara)

आज-कल बहुत कम ही फ़िल्मी गीत ऐसे बन पा रहे हैं जो दिल को छू सकें और दिमाग़ में ठहर जायें।ओंकारा फिल्म का गीत 'ओ साथी रे' उन चुनिन्दा गीतों में से एक है।तो जब इस ब्लॉग पर कई महीने बाद लिखने की बात आई (वो भी गुलज़ार साब के जन्म दिन पर), तो इसको चुनना लाज़मी था।(पर इसे चुनने की उससे भी बड़ी वजह हैं रोहन देसाई जी, जो कई बार मुझसे इस गीत पर लिखने को कह चुके हैं।)

(Longish post)

Gulzar calls Vishal Bhardwaj and extension of himself, and this harmony is quite apparent in the songs they have produced together. Out of my favorite romantic numbers in recent times, quite a few come from this collaboration. Be it the utterly beautiful "Bekaraan" from 7 Khoon Maaf, the playful "Dil to Bachcha Hai Ji" from Ishqiya, the soulful "Aur Phir Yun Hua" from Striker or "Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai" from Kaminey - they manage the strike a chord with you.

In the same line, another favorite is "O Saathi Re" - with its haunting melody and exquisite imagery, the memory of this song lingers on long after it has ended. Props to Shreya Ghoshal and Vishal Bhardwaj for making the song even more ethereal with their fervent and touching voices.

In Omkara, all the leads characterize a facet of human nature. (Posters displaying the leads and their basic underlying nature can be seen in the picture above (spoken like a school student)).

This song features Omi (Ajay Devgn), who is driven by passion and Dolly (Kareena Kapoor), who is the face of innocence - both deep in love. As it happens in love, time simply flies. And like any other couple in love, they just don't want the day to end, ever.

Lyrics, and translation:

O saathi re, din doobe na

Aa chal din ko rokein, dhoop ke peechhe daudein

Chhaon chhue na

O pihu re

[[O dearest, wish the day never ends!

Come, let's stop the day; let's run after the sun

Lest the darkness catches up with us

Come, O beloved!]]

Thaka-thaka sooraj jab, nadi se ho ke niklega

Hari-hari kaai par, paaon pada to phislega

Tum rok ke rakhna, main jaal giraaun

Tum peeth pe lena, main haath lagaaun

Din doobe na

[[When the sun, tired after its day's hard work, reaches the river

It might slip on the moss-covered stones

You stop it from drowning, while I drop the net to fish it out

You carry it on your back, and I'll give you a hand

(Whatever we do) let's stop the sun from setting]]

[[Typical Gulzar imagery here at work.]]

Teri meri atti-patti

Daant se kaati katti

Re jaiyo na

O pihu re

[[Let's make this pact that we will never leave one another

O, my dearest!]]

O pihu re, na, jaiyo na

[[Never leave me, my love!]]

Kabhi-kabhi yun karna, main daatun aur tum darna

Ubal pade aankhon se, meethe paani ka jharna

[[At times, pretend that you are afraid of me

Then if I scold you, act scared and start crying rivers]]

[[Lovers are often seen to reflect each-others' nature. Here, the usually grave Omi agrees to play along with the impish Dolly's whims, to see a smile on her face.]]

Tere dohre badan mein, sil jaaungi re

Jab karvat lega, chhil jaaungi re

[[Let's be so close as if we are stitched together

So much so, that if you so much as turn side, I'll get bruised]]

Sang le jaaunga

Teri meri angni mangni

Ang sang laagi sangni

Sang le jaaun, o pihu re

[[You will be with me wherever I go

We are inseparableu

You will be by my side

And wherever I go, you will go with me]]

(O saathi re, din doobe na...)

Three bonus bullet points :)
1. Gulzar talks about the musical form of this song (Excerpt from the book - In the company of a poet by Nasreen Munni Kabir):

"Sanchaari is a Bengali form of music that he (Vishal Bhardwaj) and I have discussed many  times. He used it in the Omkara song, 'O Saathi Re'. The Sanchaari allows you to go away from the antara [the second stage of a musical composition] and later return to it."

2. In an imagery similar to the first antara - in the poem "Sun Set" by Gulzar (from the collection Pandrah Paanch Pachhattar), the sun slips on moss covered clouds. Excerpts:

बिदक के हट गया था वो (सूरज) / बहुत फिसलन थी और काई जमी थी बादलों की / पकड़ के आसमां, कोशिश भी की थी उसने संभलने की 

 3. In this youtube video, Gulzar speaks about how if we choose "Bidi jalai le" over "O saathi re" from the same film, he cannot be questioned about writing songs of the commercial kind.

My favorite lines from the song:

तेरे दोहरे बदन में सिल जाऊँगी रे / जब करवट लेगा, छिल जाउंगी रे 

O Saathi Re video: